The Founder and Leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Mr Altaf Hussain has strongly condemned the bomb blast near a Muharram procession in Dera Ismail Khan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He expressed his grief and sorrow on the killing and injuring of several people in the blast.

In a statement, Mr Hussain said that the elements targeting imambargahs and mourning processions during the month of Muharram are open enemies of the country, and they are working on the conspiracy to damage the Muslim unity. He said that Muharram is a sacred month and those who were violating the sanctity of Muharram have nothing to do with any religion or sect.

Mr Hussain appealed to religious scholars and general public belonging to different schools of thoughts to remain calm and not to get provoked by any incident. He asked them to maintain sectarian harmony and brotherhood in order to foil the vile conspiracy to inflame sectarian strife.

Mr Hussain expressed sympathies to the grieving families who lost their loved-ones in the Bannu Chungi blast and prayed for the speedy recovery of the wounded people.

He appealed to President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and Interior Minister Rehman Malik to take notice of the blast and take steps to protect imambargahs and mourning processions. He said that the elements violating the sanctity of the month of Muharram by carrying out acts of terrorism should be brought swiftly to justice.